Produce higher yields on smaller fields with Reinke

by Jaco Cilliers

You do not need a big farm to turn a big profit. The latest agricultural technology allows farmers to make more profit on smaller farms. Reinke can supply the ideal solution to boost your profit on a field as small as two hectares. In November 2020 Schalk Barnard, farm manager of Castello Boerdery near Potchefstroom in South Africa, decided to erect a Reinke pivot on the farm. Schalk decided on a single tower Reinke centre pivot that irrigates about two hectares. The reason for the size of the pivot was that the maintenance cost of a smaller pivot is lower, and management is easier. The pivot was erected on a dry piece of land between existing centre pivots. "I struggled to get spare parts for our existing centre pivots on the farm," says Schalk. "My colleague gave me the advice to call Patrick Ellis, and the next day everything I needed was here on the farm. That is where our relationship with Reinke began." Although Schalk mainly concentrates on cash crops such as maize, wheat and soya beans, he decided to establish pastures under the Reinke centre pivot. "We planted Smutsvinger grass under the centre pivot to cut and bale for a good winter feed stock. The cattle can also graze on it," Schalk explains. The pivot boasts the best technology as only Reinke can offer. The management system is a GPS device consisting of two parts. One part is installed on the centre to determine the location of the centre pivot. The other sits on the furthest point, just before the overhang, to determine the position of the pivot in its circle. This means that the farmer can precisely control the water application on different segments of the centre pivot circle. The control panel is Reinke's flagship model, Reinke Advanced Plus. The Advanced Plus control panel can also be connected to the ReinCloud satellite system so that the farmer can control all functions and adjustments of the irrigation system from anywhere in the world with his smartphone. The satellite system means that no cell phone reception at the pivot is necessary for the remotecontrol system to work. "I can be in the house, or even on holiday at the seaside, and still control the pivot with my cell phone," says Schalk.

No power? No problem!

Two problems causing the smaller farmer many headaches, are inadequate access to a dependable electricity supply (or expensive power) and low water pressure. Reinke’s solution for the smaller farmer is a small selfpropelled irrigator – the EDMP (Engine Driven Mini Pivot), making it possible for the small-scale farmer to irrigate fodder for his livestock, or to irrigate a patch of maize behind the house. All he needs is a can of petrol to start the engine, and then he can stand back and see how his three hectares yield the same harvest per hectare as his commercial neighbour’s large fields. The power driving the EDMP is a 4-kW petrol engine. Fitted with a 22,7-litre petrol tank, the pivot will run for at

Reinke provides turnkey irrigation solutions for areas from two hectares upwards. George Enslin and Schalk Barnard are both farm managers of Castello Boerdery near Potchefstroom in South Africa. They were able to increase production due to the 2 hectare pivot that Reinke installed on the farm in November 2020.

Reinke has the option of a heavy-duty gearbox that comes with an industry-leading 10 year/ 16 000-hours guarantee.

least 16 hours non-stop, even if the farmer runs the engine at full speed. However, when irrigating, it will not be necessary to run the engine at such a rate. The engine is protected against the elements with a steel cover. Schalk opted for Reinke’s heavy-duty gearboxes. The heavy-duty gearboxes are the Reinke-UMC® 740-U-AD™, painted the distinctive Reinke blue. The gearboxes are larger, and equipped with stronger bearings which provide a longer lifespan, with a stainless-steel shell that combats moisture and therefore rust. The gearbox is reinforced in all the places that usually carry the most load, and a more robust axle ensures less stress on the wheel lugs. The entire gearbox is designed to make maintenance work as easy as possible and to stretch the lifetime as long as possible. Therefore, Reinke does not hesitate to deliver the gearbox with a guarantee of 10 years or 16 000 hours. According to Reinke, this is the best guarantee in the industry.

To find out more, contact Patrick Ellis, director of Reinke South Africa, by phoning +27-(0)31350-4525, or send an e-mail to patrickellis@reinke.com.